Abstract
Veterans treatment courts (VTCs) have expanded dramatically despite their limited empirical base. This pilot study examined MISSION-Criminal Justice (CJ), a co-occurring disorders wraparound intervention, delivered alongside two VTCs. Baseline data from 26 male veterans enrolled in two VTCs and MISSION-CJ, and 6-month follow-up data for 18 of the 26 veterans, are presented. Veterans on average were 37.5 years old, 85% Caucasian, had significant histories of criminal justice involvement (14.3 lifetime arrests), had an average of 14.7 years of alcohol use and 9.3 years of illicit drug use, and roughly three-quarters reported mental health symptomatology. At 6-month follow-up, veterans demonstrated improvements in behavioral health, substance use, and criminal justice outcomes. This study demonstrated promising preliminary outcomes of MISSION-CJ in VTCs. A randomized controlled trial is a critical next step to examine whether these outcomes remain consistent with a more rigorous design.
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Acknowledgements
This work was funded by a Grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (#1H79TI025074). We thank the Gavin Foundation, the University of Massachusetts Medical School, the Massachusetts Executive Office of the Trial Court, and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Bureau of Substance Addiction Services for supporting this work. The views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, the Massachusetts Departments of Public Health and Mental Health, the Gavin Foundation, the Massachusetts Executive Office of the Trial Court, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services, or the Massachusetts or United States Governments.
Funding
This Grant was funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration, Grant #1H79TI025074.
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Smelson, D.A., Gaba, A., Pressman, K. et al. Embedding a Co-occurring Disorders Rehabilitation Intervention in Veterans Courts: A Pilot Study with Male Veterans. Community Ment Health J 56, 970–977 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-020-00565-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-020-00565-z